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Kendal sailor to take on round-the-world yacht race for charity

AN AMATEUR sailor will be waving goodbye to home comforts when she embarks on a 40,000-mile yacht race for charity.

Caroline Marrows, 42, will take to the sea in one of 12 specially-designed boats for the race around the world.

Born and bred in Kendal but now resident in Bristol, she will visit 13 countries on six continents as part of the challenge organised by ‘marine events’ company Clipper Ventures.

Now she is hoping to pull in some serious sponsorship to fund a sailing initiative run by the Prince’s Trust for unemployed youngsters.

“I’m self-funding the trip but looking for sponsorship for the Prince’s Trust,” said the former Kirkbie Kendal School pupil. “They do amazing work and also run a programme where they train unemployed youngsters in sailing before helping them to get jobs.”

The marketing manager will give up her job at Lloyds bank and say goodbye to her parents, who still live at Wattsfield Avenue, Kendal, before the 11-month trip, which starts in August.

She will be on one of 12 boats with 24 crew members each – but only the skipper will be a professional sailor.

Caroline applied for the challenge last year after being inspired by youngsters involved with the Olympics and seeing a poster urging ordinary people to ‘do something extraordinary’.

She has since undergone several training sessions, taking her across the Channel and teaching her how to change and fix sails, navigate and complete a ‘man overboard’ drill.

The boats will complete in 15 races over eight legs as they travel to Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, China, Mexico, USA, Ireland and Holland.